


delivering more

by rivermetimber



Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M, Persona 5 Secret Santa, i hope this does your prompt justice!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28323804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivermetimber/pseuds/rivermetimber
Summary: Winter in Japan is here, and Ren is looking forward to it. Goro, however, is less than pleased.AKA:Ren likes snow. Goro doesn't. Discuss.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	delivering more

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crowaus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowaus/gifts).



> for @crowaus on twitter!
> 
> written as a contribution to the persona secret santa 2020 exchange! this was a lovely prompt, and i didn't quite get to explore it in as much detail as i'd have liked - regardless, i hope you enjoy it! happy holidays!

Ren likes winter. He likes snow. Being from a small town— a rural area with few tall buildings— he’s used to snow storms and snow up to his ankles that he has to wade through just to get to school. He never thought that by moving to the big city, he’d see it again any time soon.

Sitting in Leblanc, the sign flipped to closed—there haven’t been many customers all day, the frosty chill in the air deterring the café’s usual crowd—Ren’s eyes are trained on the strange scene developing in front of him.

Goro is here; he’s been here for quite a while, seemingly comfortable in Ren’s presence. He wasn’t sure why that extended to the rest of the Phantom Thieves but, Ren supposes, Goro knows a lot of this is all pretend. They both want all of this to go back to normal, but they know it can’t be done in a night. 

However, of all the Phantom Thieves, Ren didn’t expect Futaba to be one that Goro got along with. He hides a smile behind his hand, watching as Futaba explains why Goro’s choice in favourite anime character is wrong.

“I didn’t say I hated Featherman Red,” Goro says, eyes narrowed and his hand clenched around his steaming mug of coffee, as Futaba groans and covers her ears, “I was just saying that Featherman Black is way more interesting.”

“But— Red is interesting too!” Futaba exclaims, perched on one of the stools in a way that Ren would never be able to manage. “Just because he looks a little plain, doesn’t mean he’s _boring_. Maybe he’s secretly full of interesting things, and we just haven’t seen it yet!” Her glasses have slipped, but she doesn’t seem to have noticed.

“Really? You’re basing your opinion on what we _might_ see?” Goro says in response, glaring at Futaba from over his cup. 

Futaba gasps and pulls out her phone, typing furiously. Ren, caught up in watching the scene unfold, jumps slightly when he feels Morgana’s gaze on him. He tilts his head in question but before he can get anywhere, he feels a hand pushing against his shoulder.

“Move up,” Goro says, the hand not pushing Ren’s shoulder is wrapped around his cup, which he sets on the table, “Futaba’s busy writing a blog post on how wrong I am, which will no doubt be an easy thing to write a rebuttal for.”

“You rile her up like that, what do you expect?” Ren asks, a smile falling into place on his face as he slides into the corner of the booth. Hearing only a grunt in response, Ren leans his back against the wall, sitting sideways to face Goro. “She’d probably watch it with you, if you asked. Though, I feel like that might end in a physical fight.”

Goro scowls, and Ren decides to drop the subject. They sit in silence for a while, the sounds from Futaba’s furious typing the only sound in the café. Ren leans his head against the wall, reveling in the silence while it lasts, since he knows it wont.

“Ah, Ren,” Sojiro calls from behind the counter, popping his head up after realising Futaba and Goro were finished with their bickering. He looks over, seeing Sojiro pulling on his coat and fishing his keys out from where he keeps them under the counter. “I’m gonna go get some extra blankets and another heater for upstairs; the news says a storm is coming, the frosty kind.”

Ren nods. It’s not something he can say he doesn’t need, it’s been getting colder and colder, he just hadn’t wanted to be the one to ask if Sojiro had extras. 

Once the Boss leaves, Futaba spins around to face them.

“Do you think there’ll be enough snow to build a snowman?” she asks, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand.

“Depends on the size of snowman you want to build,” Ren responds, sliding Goro’s cup of coffee over to himself and taking a sip. Futaba makes gagging noises before she replies.

“Obviously I wanna build a snowman that’s my height,” she rolls her eyes, “but I’d settle for one half my height.”

“Why are children always so excited by snow?” Goro asks, and Ren can’t tell if it’s curiosity or an insult.

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” Ren interjects, watching the way Futaba’s cheeks are puffed out in indignation. “Plus not everywhere gets a lot of snowfall, so when it comes around it’s exciting.”

“I’m moving to Florida,” Goro says, prying his cup from Ren’s hands and wrapping both of his own around it, “I hate the snow. It’s cold, makes your socks soggy and makes everything numb.”

It goes silent again after that, Sojiro gets back with blankets and a second heater for Ren’s attic, and Futaba scurries off to help him put everything upstairs when he asks. Ren takes that as his moment to slump around in his seat and press his arm to Goro’s.

“If you’re wrapped up, snow isn’t that bad.”

“Oh, please.”

“No, seriously,” Ren says, “I’m from a place that gets tons of snow sometimes, I could build three Futaba-sized snowmen there.”

“Ah, is that so?” Goro asks in a flat tone, taking a sip of coffee. Ren decides to stick to the topic, even though he knows Goro is trying to end the conversation.

“Mhm, I’ll have to show you sometime,” he says, ignoring the implications of his statement. “But, if it’s gonna snow _here_ , you’ll have to come out in it with me.”

“Absolutely not.”

* * *

In retrospect, Ren thinks, it doesn’t take long for Goro to agree to come out into the snow with him. Not that he _agrees_ , per se. It snows heavily over the next few days, and they already had prior plans. _Voila_. 

They’re pushing their way through the snow that’s built up in the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya in shoes that are definitely not built to handle snowy climates, a look of disgust permanently etched on Goro’s face, when Ren gets an idea. 

It’s a dumb idea but he figures they’re already going to need a complete change of clothes, so he lets out a loud hum, dragging it out until Goro stops.

“What?”

“I forgot,” Ren says, “I need to go to _Parco_ —“

“We just _came_ from Shibuya,” is Goro’s flat response.

“Yeah, but I promised Futaba. She’ll make me sleep out in the snow if I don’t come back with something.”

Goro looks up at the white sky with a groan, dragging it out but turning back to the direction they had just come from. They trudge back, Ren handing over his gloves which Goro pulls on while still grumbling under his breath, and take the train back to Shibuya.

“How will she even know?”

“She’s got the entire place bugged, my cell too.”

“What—“

Ren grins, pushes his glasses up his nose, and takes Goro’s hand as the doors of the train open. 

“I don’t think I’m kidding. She usually does, at least,” he says with a shrug.

Shibuya is surprisingly quiet, even considering the weather conditions. There aren’t many people milling around, despite only being early evening. Still, Ren kicks his feet in the snow as they walk from the station to the Shibuya crossing.

“What did you need to buy?” Goro asks, hands cupped in front of his face to breathe onto them, warming up both his gloved hands and his face.

“Oh?” Ren hums, swiping a hand across the seat of a bench to scoop snow into his hand, pressing his hands together to form a snowball, “nothing.”

“Nothing? But you said—”

“And I lied; I wanted you to come walk in the snow with me.”

“You’re an asshole.”

Ren grins. “It worked though, didn’t it?”

Goro huffs, spinning on his heel and making his way back to the station. Ren sees his chance, stepping forward and shoving the snowball he’d been forming down the back of Goro’s shirt.

The way Goro jumps makes Ren wish he had his camera out. He tries to hop away from the snow that’s down his shirt and lets out a shriek that echoes in the near-empty Shibuya streets. Ren can’t help it — he doubles over, holding his stomach as he laughs, only to land face-first in a pile of snow that’s been scraped over to the side of the street. He splutters, falling to land on his backside, blinking. Taking his glasses off, he looks up, seeing Goro’s shit-eating grin.

“Not so nice, is it?” he asks, and Ren could laugh. His hair is getting wetter by the second, melting snow dripping down the back of his neck; they should get moving soon, or he’ll get sick. 

“How do you know this wasn’t my plan?” Ren says, falling back into the snow and closing his eyes, a smile gracing his lips. He hears Goro crouch down next to him, probably to ask him what on Earth he thinks he’s doing, but reaches his hand to push him before he can speak.

He lies in the snow, Goro sat next to him, the only sound between them being Ren’s laughter. Opening his eyes, he sees the smile on Goro’s lips, and his laughter dies down into a grin.

“Well, we’re literally gonna get sick if we stay down here much longer,” he says, pushing himself up, thankful that the train ride back to Yongen-Jaya isn’t _that_ long. He turns, reaching a hand out in offering.

“You— “ Goro stutters, his teeth chattering, but takes the offered hand, “I am sopping wet through; I hope you have clothes in my size.” 

Ren gestures to himself, clearly in the same situation.

“I have plenty of sweats,” he says, swinging their still joined hands between them as they walk.

They get looks on the train back, of course they do, they’re soaking wet and lacking proper layers for the weather.

It takes Ren a while to realise their hands stayed joined together the entire way back to the café. Sojiro is already brewing a fresh pot of coffee when they get back, and Futaba is ready with towels; they tell Ren he’s a dumbass, which he knows. Really, he regrets telling the Phantom Thieves of his plan to get Goro out in the snow.

Taking the towels from Futaba, he hands one to Goro who’s surprisingly silent now that they’re back at the café, and draping the other over his hair. 

Sojiro and Futaba leave, the former giving Ren clear instructions to lock the door when, or _if_ , Goro leaves. Ren knows he won’t, so he locks the door when the duo takes their leave. 

Then, they’re alone.

Goro breaks the silence, stretching and taking his coat off, draping it over his arm and throwing Ren a look over his shoulder, “clothes?” he asks, and Ren follows.

He goes into his box of clothing on Sojiro’s storage shelves, pulling out sweat pants and a plain tee, waving them around to get Goro’s attention. He gives Goro privacy, keeping his back to him while he changes; in the meantime, Ren drags over the other heater that Sojiro brought upstairs and plugs it in as close to his bed as he can manage.

When he turns, Goro is wrapping a blanket around his shoulders, sitting on Ren’s bed, and all Ren can see are his eyes. After changing into his own night clothes, Ren sits next to him.

“Do you still hate the snow?” he asks, pulling the abundance of blankets up from the floor and spreading them across the two of them.

“I hate _you_ ,” Goro huffs, closing his eyes.

“Hm, I had a good time, too,” Ren laughs, glad Morgana is sleeping, because he’s sure the other would be incredibly confused. 

But Ren’s glad that he and Goro can finally talk like this — he’s not sure he expected them to get on as well as they do, even if it doesn’t look that way to anyone else.

* * *

It’s midnight when Ren realises he’s alone in his room, Morgana sprawled out but Goro nowhere in sight. Sojiro and Futaba are both long gone, back around the corner, so Ren doesn’t hesitate in padding down the cold wooden steps of the café. 

Goro is standing at the closed door of Leblanc, breath fogging up the glass as he breathes. He doesn’t acknowledge Ren, but Ren knows Goro has heard him. He sits in the booth closest to the stairs. Watches Goro as Goro watches the snow fall outside.

“When this is all over,” Goro begins eventually, his back facing Ren, his hands by his sides, “and I’m… wherever I’ll be going next…” 

_In prison_ , Ren fills in silently. Not that he wants Goro to be locked up. Despite what transpired before, Goro is the one that pushed for them to destroy this new reality. Ren would have stayed, if Goro had wanted to. He’s about to say as much, takes in a deep breath, but Goro turns to face him, unwavering as he does so.

“Promise me we’ll do this again.”

And Ren does.


End file.
